Going to a good sushi restaurant is like going to the theater, where every scene is a demonstration of the chef’s skill. At Sushi Sase in Hong Kong, the performances warrant applause. Just be sure to sit at one of the 25 seats by the central sushi bar for the best view.

The meal starts off with a greeting—a bow by the chefs, a well-trained fleet helmed by Satoshi Sase, the former chef of Sushi Zen in Sapporo, Japan. With a chef-to-customer ratio of 1 to 3, almost every group gets its own dedicated chef, who serves just them for the entire meal.

Sushi Sase sets its standards high, and its prices, too: Lunch dishes start at 300 Hong Kong dollars (US$39); a selection of the chef’s best and freshest—the omakase—costs HK$1,380. But there is an added level of service here: Every piece of sushi comes preseasoned. Typical Japanese sushi chefs do not season their fish before serving, and so have to watch a lot of customers drown their pieces in soy sauce and wasabi. Here the chef brushes a professionally judged amount on top, and though extra soy souce is offered on the side, the restaurant’s recommendation is not to use any. And really, there’s no need.

Different kinds of soy sauce (some a bit sweeter; some saltier) are matched with different fish, as are additional condiments, including freshly grated wasabi. Fluke gets shaved pink salt; sweet shrimp, a squeeze of lime. Some pieces, like the tuna, are left to marinate for a short time (table-side) for extra flavor. Each piece of sushi comes ready to eat straight from the chef’s hand to diner’s mouths, with slices of house-cured ginger to be eaten after as a palate cleanser on the side.

In keeping with proper sushi etiquette, guests are encouraged to eat with their hands. A small wet cloth is folded on a dish for them to dab their fingers clean between bites. The chef makes each piece of sushi only when a guest is ready, but lunch is brisk and can be finished within an hour for those in a rush.

It’s quiet here. Other than the occasional shout of irrashaimase (Japanese for “welcome”), the ambience is like a spa—serene and soothing. There are no paintings on the walls, and the entire room is a uniform shade of light wood, which is the material used for the floor, the sushi bar, the shelves and the chairs. No extra flourishes, and none needed. The food is solid.